Dairy milk has been a staple food for humans for thousands of years.1 However, it was only during the 20th century that it has been vilified, supposedly because of its fat content. Hence, you’ll see plenty of milk alternatives sold in grocery stores, one of which is almond milk.
Almond milk is now one of the best-selling alternatives to dairy milk. According to a report2 from Trending Market Insights, the almond milk industry was worth $8.5 billion in 2022, but by 2032, it’ll be around $25.4 billion worth — a whopping 198.82% growth.
But despite the extraordinary expansion, a closer look reveals that almond milk isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. If you’re a regular consumer of this alternative dairy product, I recommend you remove it from your pantry right away.
Compelling Reasons to Avoid Almond Milk
One of the reasons to avoid almond milk is because of its inferior protein content. According to The Hearty Soul, a cup of almond milk only contains 1 gram of protein. In comparison, a cup of full-fat dairy milk contains 8 grams.3
Protein is an essential macronutrient for building stronger muscles and organs, as well as repairing tissues. It’s also used in the functioning of enzymes, hormones and the immune system. If you don’t get enough protein, your cognitive function will be affected, as research4 shows that insufficient intake is related to senile dementia.
Another drawback of almond milk is that it’s low in essential nutrients.5 It’s mostly just water, so you’re paying for a diluted product. A report6 reveals that top brands only use 2% almonds per container sold, and carrageenan is incorporated to achieve a consistency similar to dairy milk.
That in itself is another drawback, as research7 shows that this chemical is a known carcinogen. In animal models, carrageenan may cause intestinal ulcerations that mimic ulcerative colitis.
Almond milk also isn’t suitable for infants.8 In fact, the only type of milk I recommend for infants is breastmilk. In a study published in The Journal of Nutrition, toddlers who were given plant-based milk had lower weight and height compared to children who drank dairy milk.9 People with nut allergies, a condition affecting 3.9 million Americans today,10 also aren’t advised to drink almond milk, for obvious reasons.
But that’s not all. Research shows that there are two more reasons why it’s better to avoid drinking almond milk (or eating almonds, for that matter) — it’s loaded with linoleic and oleic acids.
Almonds Contain Linoleic and Oleic Acids
I believe that linoleic acid (LA) is the most destructive ingredient present in the food supply today. It is a polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) commonly found in seed oils used in cooking, as well as seeds, tree nuts, most olive oils and avocado oils, and animal foods raised on grains, such as conventionally grown chicken and pork. To learn just how pernicious LA is to your health, I highly recommend reading this article.
To protect your health, I recommend keeping your LA intake at less than 5 grams, but if you can keep it below 2 grams, that would be far better. To help you monitor your consumption, you can use Cronometer, a free nutrition tracker.
Now, how much LA is in almonds? According to the California Almond Board, an ounce (around 23 almonds11) has 3.5 grams of linoleic acid.12 If you drink almond milk equivalent to this amount, it will already put you above my recommended intake of LA each day, since you need to account for the LA found in the other foods you eat, too.
Another major reason to avoid almonds is their oleic acid content. According to a study13 published in the Journal of Food Science in Technology, oleic acid is actually the major fatty acid found in almond, comprising anywhere between 62.43% and 76.34%, depending on variety. Linoleic acid is at second place, around 13.97% to 29.55%.
Foods high in this monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) can be just as damaging as LA when consumed in high quantities (when not balanced by adequate saturated fat).
Like PUFAs, MUFAs can also inhibit glucose metabolism, which isn’t what you want, as glucose is the primary energy needed by your body. If your body doesn’t burn glucose, your cellular health is compromised.
How Full-Fat Dairy Milk Can Benefit Your Health
Despite all the advertising surrounding dairy alternatives, I believe that the best milk still comes from cows — specifically, grass fed, organically raised cows. Never drink pasteurized milk from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). That’s because CAFOs are hotbeds for pathogens due to the unsanitary conditions the cows are raised in.
In fact, the unsanitary environment proliferated by CAFOs is one of the reasons why milk was pasteurized in the first place. In other words, CAFO-raised, pasteurized milk is simply not safe to drink. Of course, experts recognize that pasteurization extends shelf life, which is a convenience, but your health will eventually pay the price.
One of the reasons why raw, full-fat milk is such a healthy food for you is because it contains various health-promoting compounds that are lost during processing. According to The Lancet,14 probiotics, essential amino acids, assorted vitamins and minerals, and phospholipids are found in this healthy beverage.
In a study published in PLOS Medicine,15 researchers found that dairy consumption was associated with a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes and liver disease. In another study, dairy was found to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome.16
The vilification of milk began in the 1960s, as it was believed the saturated fats found in it were contributing to weight gain and increased LDL cholesterol.17 But now, there’s a plethora of evidence showing this isn’t the case — in fact, a study18 found that whole-fat dairy improved triglyceride levels in participants and didn’t increase their risk for cardiovascular disease.
Odd-Chain Saturated Fats — A Small but Powerful Contributor to Health
One component of dairy milk that deserves more attention is odd-chain saturated fats (OCSFs). A Scientific Reports study19 suggests they are a potential essential fat in the human diet, unlike linoleic acid (LA).
OCSFs in milk come in two types and represent only a small amount of the fat in milk. The first is pentadecanoic acid (C15:0), which is only 1%. The other one is heptadecanoic acid (C17:0), which is only 0.5%. Despite the minute amount, their importance cannot be ignored. As noted in the study from Scientific Reports:20
“Dietary odd-chain saturated fatty acids (OCFAs) are present in trace levels in dairy fat and some fish and plants. Higher circulating concentrations of OCFAs, pentadecanoic acid (C15:0) and heptadecanoic acid (C17:0), are associated with lower risks of cardiometabolic diseases, and higher dietary intake of OCFAs is associated with lower mortality.
Population-wide circulating OCFA levels, however, have been declining over recent years. Here, we show C15:0 as an active dietary fatty acid that attenuates inflammation, anemia, dyslipidemia, and fibrosis in vivo, potentially by binding to key metabolic regulators and repairing mitochondrial function.”
In a large scale-study21 published in 2018, which gathered results from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Taiwan, researchers discovered that participants with the highest levels of milk fats in their systems — specifically odd-chain fatty acids 15:0 and 17:0, and trans-palmitoleic acid — had a 29% lower risk of Type 2 diabetes.
Other published studies have shown that OCSFs can help improve mitochondrial function and increase your body’s ability to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP),22 which is used to fuel cellular functions.23 Moreover, higher OCSFs circulating in the blood have been associated with lower risks of the following:24
|
Obesity |
Chronic inflammation |
|
Cardiovascular disease |
Metabolic syndrome |
|
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) |
Pancreatic cancer |
|
All-cause mortality |
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) |
To get all the advantages that OCSFs have to offer, drink whole-fat milk, which has a fat content of 4%. Other alternatives are raw, grass fed butter, which has a fat concentration 20 times higher than whole-fat milk. Ghee has 25 times the fat as whole milk. If you opt for butter, a reasonable dose is 1 tablespoon per day, but don’t go over 5 tablespoons per day.
The Best Way to Find Raw Milk
While it’s possible to purchase full-fat, organic milk from grocery stores, it’s crucial to recognize that they are still pasteurized. Since pasteurization eliminates harmful bacteria from CAFO-derived milk, the process also removes beneficial bacteria and possibly harm essential enzymes.
To learn more about the dangers of pasteurization, I recommend reading “The 15 Things That Milk Pasteurization Kills” by Real Milk.25 What’s even more appalling is that regulatory loopholes allow CAFO ranchers to label their products “organic,” even though the cows are not grazing on clean, organic pasture. To know how this fraudulent practice is done, check out my article “How Organic Is Your Organic Milk?“
It’s important to do your due diligence, especially when it comes to buying raw, grass fed milk, or any other dairy products for that matter. Look for unpasteurized dairy certified by the American Grassfed Association (AGA), which ensures that you’re only getting high-quality, grass fed dairy. To help you on your search, you can visit the AGA website.26 There, you’ll find producers that meet the AGA’s strict standards for their cows:
- Only fed a diet of 100% forage
- Raised on pasture and never confined to a feedlot
- Never administered antibiotics or hormones
- Born and raised on American, family-owned farms
Another website that can help you find true, raw grass fed milk is RealMilk.com.27 It provides a comprehensive list of raw dairy farms in your area. You’ll find the business names, and even the contact number, allowing you to personally converse with the farmer producing the milk.
The Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund28 also provides a state-by-state review of raw milk laws. California residents can also find raw milk retailers using the store locator available at RAW FARM, a family-owned business operating since 1998.29
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